Indian erotic art -- sculptures, literature, poems, paintings and sketches -- sourced from museums and private art collectors across the world is being assembled into an exhibition, which aims to look afresh at the Kama Sutra through a woman's perspective.
Put together by art consultant and curator Alka Pande, the exhibition titled "The Kama Sutra, Spirituality and Eroticism in Indian Art," is scheduled to be shown in Paris for a period of six months beginning October 2 this year.
French Ambassador Francois Richier made the announcement today at his residence here.
"Far from being a text on pornography or sexology, the ancient Sanskrit text 'Kama Sutra' by Vatsayan is about a great way of urban living, of balance in life, of joy which comes through celebration of sensuality and desire," says Pande.
Pande is being assisted by art historian Marc Restellini, who is currently in the country to prepare the groundwork for the project, set to be displayed at the Pinacotheque de Paris museum of which he is the founder.
Over 300 works collected from museums like the Reitberg (Zurich), Musee Guimet (Paris) and the Cinquanternaire Museum (Royal Musuems of Art and History, Brussels) are in the show.
"From temples to durbars with iconic figure of the courtesan, the spirituality and the aesthetics of erotic is evidence everywhere in India," says Pande.
Among the exhibits on display is a selection of 15 sculptures on loan from the City Palace Museum in Udaipur under the custodian of Arvind Singh Mewar of the Mewar dynasty.
"These sculptures which are going to be up for display have never been seen by public and are sculptures of the most sensual male and female bodies. There are celestial beauties or Surasundaries also which can be ascribed to 7th century AD to the 14th century AD," says Arvind Singh.
Folk and tribal sculptures from West Bengal, Odissa and other places in India and ancient literature and poems by women in premodern India and men during the Bakthi movement are set to be juxtaposed together.
